Review: A Map Of The Sky, Claire Wong

NB: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Plot: Just before the end of the his school's summer term, Kit is pulled out of school by his mum, who takes Kit and his sister up north to a remote coastal village, near Scarborough. They stay for a little while at a guesthouse until their new home is ready. They meet an assortment of guests there, but Kit is most drawn to Beth, one of the owners, who suffers from an illness he doesn't understand. He decides to try and help her, like a knight going on a quest in one of his favourite stories, but soon realises that as much as he tries to know and sort out the problems around him, the real problems are right under his nose.

Claire Wong has crafted an intimate, innocent, and discerning novel that takes a look at an issue that is not often talked about, and less understood - the nature of chronic illness and the effect it has on those whom it afflicts. Through Kit's eyes, we learn about it in an open and curious manner. Claire's bitterness at her suffering comes through softly, but not too much that it's dismissed. While Kit focusses on helping Claire, though, he's missing out on rescuing someone who actually wants to be rescued - in his own family, no less.

The landscapes in the novel enhance the story at its core, and almost tell their own story. There's a moment where Kit stands alone on a clifftop, viewing the magnificent north sea before him, and Claire's words transport you there so well you can almost feel the salty air. It's quietly dramatic, and although there's not a lot of action, per se, it's not necessary. Claire makes you invest in her characters, and you want to know the intimate details of their life, and what has brought them together.

Altogether, it's a gorgeous and quietly dramatic book that explores the nature of, and coping with, misunderstood illness, but more than that, the need to simply see the humanity in one another and act with kindness accordingly.